State budget season is in full swing. Last week, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released its budget for fiscal year 2020. For early education and care, this budget falls short. Senators quickly filed amendments to the budget to increase investments in young children, families, and early educators. Contact your state senator now to support amendments for early education and care. Budget debate will begin on Monday, May 20.

Millions of dollars are at stake, including $20 million for early educator salaries, $10 million for preschool expansion grants, and more. For more information, visit our budget webpage.

Life after federal preschool grants? Massachusetts can invest in its children

Early education programs across Massachusetts have used federal Preschool Expansion Grants (PEG) to add more seats and serve more than 800 additional children annually. But now these programs – located in Boston, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, and Springfield — face a tough question: What happens next year after their PEG grants run out?

Boston is taking proactive steps. Mayor Marty Walsh has announced a plan to invest $15 million over five years to ensure high-quality pre-K for all 4-year-olds in the city. In other communities, PEG grants have had a great deal of local success. The grants have supported some of the highest quality preschool classrooms in the state, but these classrooms risk closing in August without new state or local funding. Read more.

Prof. James Heckman@heckmanequation May 14
NEW RESEARCH—The Perry Preschoolers are all grown up and the impact their high-quality early childhood education had on their adult lives is groundbreaking. Learn about the multi-generation impact here: http://bit.ly/2VrFDRT

These hearings are an opportuity for the public to show support or opposition for the bills. The hearing on July 2 is a chance for YOU to raise your voice in support of young children, families, and early educators.

Strategies for Children is supporting several bills, including bills for preschool expansion and affordable child care. You can see more information about the bills by clicking the links.

We need you to take action! We are happy to help you with testimony and talking points. If you can’t make it to the State House on July 2, call to your legislators’ offices on that day. Or, email us your testimony and we will print it out and deliver it to the committee for you.

Your voice truly makes a difference. I have been advocating at the State House for many years and have cultivated strong relationships with legislators and staff. But most legislators would rather hear from you, their constituents.

Help them understand how critical these issues are to the children and families in your commuity. How does high-quality early education affect you? Your family? Your career?

Strategies for Children works to ensure that Massachusetts invests the resources needed for all children, from birth to age five, to access high-quality early education programs that prepare them for success in school and life.